This life, in this world, with this God.

On my way to work the other day I had a kind of epiphany, a moment of clarity, a realisation of something I just don't seem to have truly understood. God made me. Every fibre of my being is made by him and belongs to him. Everything on this earth is his. So what's my purpose in life? To glorify him. It seems so obvious now. Made by God, for His purposes, I have no rights in his regard, no claims to stake, nothing to demand as my own.

So what does this mean? Well, I might feel extremely vulnerable. Our creator is a God who is powerful enough to create the Universe, who has named all of the stars in the sky, and knows the thoughts of my heart. To him I owe my existence and life (however brief it may be) and by him I am owed nothing. So he is both able and within his rights to do whatever he pleases with me. Its my duty to honour him as he is my creator, and he could make this a depressing, long suffering mightily unpleasant experience. Indeed, he could keep me in misery forever. And yet, he hasn't chosen this.

How pleasant it is to feel the sun shine on my face, to see lambs gambolling in the fields in spring, to look up at a sky rife with clouds and forks of lightning, to hear claps of thunder against a background of torrential rain, to taste a ripe and juicy strawberry from the garden of a friend, to smell freshly ground coffee, or the fragrance of a rose in bloom.

God has made the world a delightful place to live, where I hear friends laugh together, enjoy a kiss and a cuddle with someone I love, receive generosity and hospitality from friends who consider it a joy to be kind to me, and what's more, ask nothing in return. In this world I experience love in so many contexts and the joy it brings is all gift, all grace, all free from a God who owes me nothing and yet seeks out ways to bless.

When I am tempted to grumble (its too hot, its too hard, I'm too tired) I'd do well to remember the reason I have been made, and the privilege and joy it is to live this life, in this world, with this God.

Rejoice Always,

Rachel.